1. (a) The 8-light warning system required on each school bus shall be operated as follows:

   1. (1) The school bus driver shall activate the amber pilot light and amber warning lights a minimum of 100 feet prior to stopping the bus to receive or discharge pupils. The entrance door shall remain closed;
   2. (2) As the driver approaches a school bus stop, they shall check traffic on all sides of the bus, to ensure that traffic is stopping for the bus;
   3. (3) After the bus has come to a complete stop and it is safe to receive or discharge pupils, the school bus driver shall open the entrance door and activate the red flashing lights; and
   4. (4) The driver shall close the entrance door, extinguishing the 8-light warning system, after all pupils are properly seated or discharged.
2. (b) When a school bus is equipped with white strobe lights, the lights shall be operated in accordance with the requirements of RSA 266:39.
3. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions in this section to the contrary, while in a designated school district's loading and unloading zone on school property, the driver shall follow the school district loading and unloading written policy with regards to use of red lights and stop sign. If no policy is in place the driver shall use red lights when loading and unloading in the school loading and unloading zone.

Source. #4873, eff 07-24-90; ss by #6297, eff 7-23-96; ss by #8122, INTERIM, eff 7-17-04, EXPIRES: 1-13-05; ss and moved by #8248, eff 1-4-05 (from Saf-C 1316.03); ss by #10439, eff 10-11-13 (see Revision Note #1 at chapter heading for Saf-C 1300); ss by #14005, eff 6-22-24, EXPIRES: 6-22-34 (see Revision Note #2 at chapter heading for Saf-C 1300)